Private Care

Private healthcare is provided through insurance or self-payment and, unlike being treated on the NHS, you will receive dedicated consultant delivered care at a time convenient to you. You may also receive treatment which is available on the NHS more quickly, or receive treatment which is currently unavailable on the NHS.

The private healthcare process starts with a consultation with Mr Birchley in his clinic at Exeter Nuffield Hospital and this can be arranged in a number of ways; by referral from your GP, by personal request to Mr Birchley’s secretary Karissa or by recommendation from your private insurance provider. All new patients are offered a 30 minute appointment which begins with Mr Birchley taking a full clinical history and examination relevant to your condition. Where appropriate, Mr Birchley may need to take imaging using a state of the art Terason duplex scanner and he may also need to take photographs for your medical records. Mr Birchley will discuss in detail the risks and benefits of each of the available treatment options, including no treatment, and give you opportunity to ask any questions.

Exeter Vascular provides an entirely electronic service so that your care can be progressed as swiftly as possible. All records are held in digital format on secure, password-protected devices and – subject to your consent – communicated with you by email. Papers copies are always available if required. For continuity of care, Mr Birchley will ensure that your GP is kept fully informed with the progress of your care providing he has your consent to do so.

Once you have decided on your treatment, and you are a self-pay patient, you will purchase a ‘package of care’ which covers the cost of all aspects of your chosen procedure. If this cost is being covered by your insurance company, then will we provide you with a treatment code so that the necessary arrangements can be made by your insurer.

Mr Birchley has a responsibility to ensure that you are fully informed regarding your treatment and the consent process forms a critical part of your care. Guidance from the Royal College of Surgeons of England providing more information about informed consent can be found hereand Exeter Vascular’s information leaflet is here.

All treatments will require a follow-up appointment with Mr Birchley, and this will be automatically arranged for you. If you have any questions or concerns following your procedure, Mr Birchley is available to provide advice by email or telephone and we offer this service to keep consultation costs to a minimum. We always encourage direct contact with Exeter Vascular and are available seven days a week; however, if the event of an emergency (such as collapse or bleeding) then you must dial 999 or attend your nearest Emergency Department.

About Us

Mr Birchley trained at the Royal London Hospital and was appointed as a Consultant Vascular and General Surgeon at the Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Trust in 2010. All of the data relating to Mr Birchley’s major vascular work is submitted to national databases at NHS Choices and the Vascular Services Quality Improvement Programme, where the published outcomes are available to review.